How to turn existing planning permission into your dream home

Some homes come with planning permission – but if the ideas don’t suit your taste or lifestyle, they can be revised to better suit your needs and ideas

It’s unlikely that previous plans will be what you’d have designed yourself and with either big or small design changes that reflect your vision and budget, plans can become more of what you’d like and less of what you’ve inherited.

We work with clients in a variety of ways to amend existing drawings into something that suits them.

We start by asking a few questions:

What’s missing from the existing plans for the client?
Layout not flowing, wrong number of bedrooms, rooms are too big or too small, open plan, better views, more en-suites, bigger bathroom – we talk with clients about what they want from the home and how can we give it to them.

How do they want to live in the house?
We ask how people live.

What do they do, who comes to visit, how will they move around the house, do they have guests, children, a dog (maybe a boot room or back entrance would be beneficial to save the mud), do they need a games room, cinema, would they like a bath – or a beautiful view?  We talk about light – big windows, smaller ones, modern, traditional, fixtures, fittings and materials. We look at how smart home technology can be integrated into the fabric of the building, according to the client’s needs.

We also consider the energy performance of the house and how to maximise its green credentials and efficiency.

Do they want to add value to sell now or in the future?
Planning can look ahead whilst staying in the present to give a client the home they want. This can mean creating a separate driveway (much more appealing to buyers), guest accommodation (someone else might want an annexe or rental) or adding a downstairs en-suite for when the inhabitants are older.

What’s their budget?
In our 25 years, we’ve seen plans that can’t be built at all, or be built within the budget.
Plans that don’t meet the client need.
Plans that are too old to even meet regs and aren’t how people want to live.
Plans that are overly complex when they don’t need to be – or don’t achieve much extra – but bust the budget or create compromise.
Plans that would waste space when something else would use the footprint more effectively.
Plans that are too expensive – when something else would work at a lower price level and still deliver to brief.

We’re experts at changing designs to meet a client’s needs without exceeding costs.

What does the planning authority need for the plans to be passed?
We’ve seen plans that have failed for obvious reasons – and can update them to gain consent easily.
We balance local planning authority requirements with client aspiration – they can very often meet in the middle. We know the quirks of each local planning authority we work with and have discussions with them to find out what would be passed and where we can work together to find a pleasing design.

Would a rebuild work better than a refurbishment?
Demolishing and rebuilding a property can seem a big, expensive job. However, many clients don’t realise that new builds are zero rated for VAT – rather than the usual 20% – which can represent a huge saving.

If existing plans require knocking down a large proportion of an existing building, we often find a rebuild is not only more cost effective but gives the client freedom to create what they want without being constrained by the framework of the current property.

Is it a conservation or heritage project?
Knowing how to sympathetically restore and preserve the charm and characteristics of an old building is not only desirable in terms of design, it can also be an essential planning requirement.

We’re highly experienced in converting agricultural properties and barns as well as refurbishing and extending heritage buildings to enhance their beauty and satisfy the planners.

Where will you live during the build?
If you’re currently living in the house you plan to remodel or rebuild, where possible, we’ll aim to plan the project in a way that allows you to continue living there.

For some projects, we have gained approval for temporary accommodation on site during the build, but we’ll work with you to find the best solution.

If you have existing plans you’d like us to review, get in touch for a friendly chat and expert advice.